matticus
Guru
Yup - I think that's the norm when there is organised catering at the mid-way stop.
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Yup - I think that's the norm when there is organised catering at the mid-way stop.
OP
OP
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Registration closed Tuesday
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I've just been reviewing various weather forecasters. It's going to be COLD. But it's probably not going to rain.
Leaving the Burstow scout hut at about 4:30am the temperature is likely to be 3 or 4 degrees with a gentle tailwind. It may even drop below that later on. That's very nippy indeed.
I fully expect to see @CharlieB in shorts.
The above is from MSN for Horley - so roughly the half way stop. Other forecasters agree, more or less.
Leaving the Burstow scout hut at about 4:30am the temperature is likely to be 3 or 4 degrees with a gentle tailwind. It may even drop below that later on. That's very nippy indeed.
I fully expect to see @CharlieB in shorts.
The above is from MSN for Horley - so roughly the half way stop. Other forecasters agree, more or less.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Very chilly. And with a N/NE wind it will feel chillier. But it will be behind us mostly, so thats ok?! Not as cold as last year's opening ride to Bognor though.
matticus
Guru
Cold tailwind - worst case scenario on these rides; as we have a fixed arrival time [cafe open o'clock], tailwind means more standing around en-route. In the cold north wind
Anyway, I am bringing my big Ortlieb pannier stufd with warm clothes, so all should be good.
OP
OP
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Ski gloves and shoe covers to help ward off Raynaud's... Especially when waymarking
matticus
Guru
Starjumps. (put your bike down first).
matticus
Guru
Enjoyed the bit I did 🤦♂️ .
(I'll delay describing The Embarrassing Mechanical Incident until I read the (semi)official Ride Report...
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Not an official, or even semi-official write up. Just a few thoughts.
I normally spend the first hour or so of a London FNRttC wondering what the hell I'm doing as the London exit routes tend to be not much fun - or not to my taste anyway - but last night's went remarkably smoothly. Down to Tooting then off on roads that are familiar to me from Fridays rides. Then over the Downs via How Lane near Chipstead. I don't recall if I've done this particular route with the Fridays before, but it all went well and was possibly the best London exit I've done with the Fridays.
Arriving at the Burstow Scout hut it was clear even to an unobservant dolt like me that something was wrong. There was only about half the ride. There had been TWO broken derailleur incidents at the rear. A party of frozen waymarkers including @StuAff eventually arrived and finally the back of the ride, possibly missing one or two bail-outs, one of whom may have been @matticus There was a broken bike on the floor of the hut with Tim (formerly of CC) busy working on it.
Leaving the hut was very cold but Turner's Hill warmed us up and it was pretty much, more or less, all downhill to Shoreham from there. No major climbs anyway, but a few little bumps. Lovely sunrise, gentle tailwind, blue skies.
I grabbed a very nice coffee at the cafe and set off over Devils Dyke up to Three Bridges for a train home. That gentle tailwind turned out to be not so gentle when you were riding into it.
That was my 37th Friday Night Ride.
I normally spend the first hour or so of a London FNRttC wondering what the hell I'm doing as the London exit routes tend to be not much fun - or not to my taste anyway - but last night's went remarkably smoothly. Down to Tooting then off on roads that are familiar to me from Fridays rides. Then over the Downs via How Lane near Chipstead. I don't recall if I've done this particular route with the Fridays before, but it all went well and was possibly the best London exit I've done with the Fridays.
Arriving at the Burstow Scout hut it was clear even to an unobservant dolt like me that something was wrong. There was only about half the ride. There had been TWO broken derailleur incidents at the rear. A party of frozen waymarkers including @StuAff eventually arrived and finally the back of the ride, possibly missing one or two bail-outs, one of whom may have been @matticus There was a broken bike on the floor of the hut with Tim (formerly of CC) busy working on it.
Leaving the hut was very cold but Turner's Hill warmed us up and it was pretty much, more or less, all downhill to Shoreham from there. No major climbs anyway, but a few little bumps. Lovely sunrise, gentle tailwind, blue skies.
I grabbed a very nice coffee at the cafe and set off over Devils Dyke up to Three Bridges for a train home. That gentle tailwind turned out to be not so gentle when you were riding into it.
That was my 37th Friday Night Ride.
Yep enjoyed the ride, but as said, it was blinkin cold. Port Kitchen brekky was indeed, most splendid. Chapeau to the two newbie young ladies who did exceptionally well, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Greg got on same train as me, and was asleep within10 mins, whilst still holding his phone.
LucretiaMyReflection
Über Member
- Location
- The Flatlands
Even manage to be spotted having never met before!
OP
OP
lazybloke
Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Was it 6 new starters? Felt like a good showing on a cold evening on this first event of the year.
Found Bob, Shadow, Kim & StuAff before the safety briefing, then we were off out of London via the Tooting Bec, Mitcham, Calshalton Beeches route. Familiar from various Fridays rides and other events.
London had certainly felt cool, but it was the descent from Woodmansterne to Chipstead Valley Road where the air first had a really sharp bite. We were already in to the succession of climbs to cross the North Downs; How Lane and Cormongers Lane were tough, then the the fast descent to Redhill Aerodrome & South Nutfield... but which time it was 4 degrees.
Emerging from the scout hut the temp had plunged to little more than a punishing 1 degree. The dawn arrived somewhere near Handcross, and by the time we skirted west of Cowfold, the sky was a glorious blue and the landscape painted gold by the rising sun. The dawn light really makes these rides, makes the cold bearable.
Down to Steyning, and then the usual route following the river past the cement works and Lancing College.
A much-needed breakfast stop in Shoreham, then a train to within 7 miles of home and one final ascent to get home; the North Downs escarpment. Ouch.
Circa 78 miles in total.
Is this a derailleur incident on the left?
Found Bob, Shadow, Kim & StuAff before the safety briefing, then we were off out of London via the Tooting Bec, Mitcham, Calshalton Beeches route. Familiar from various Fridays rides and other events.
London had certainly felt cool, but it was the descent from Woodmansterne to Chipstead Valley Road where the air first had a really sharp bite. We were already in to the succession of climbs to cross the North Downs; How Lane and Cormongers Lane were tough, then the the fast descent to Redhill Aerodrome & South Nutfield... but which time it was 4 degrees.
Emerging from the scout hut the temp had plunged to little more than a punishing 1 degree. The dawn arrived somewhere near Handcross, and by the time we skirted west of Cowfold, the sky was a glorious blue and the landscape painted gold by the rising sun. The dawn light really makes these rides, makes the cold bearable.
Down to Steyning, and then the usual route following the river past the cement works and Lancing College.
A much-needed breakfast stop in Shoreham, then a train to within 7 miles of home and one final ascent to get home; the North Downs escarpment. Ouch.
Circa 78 miles in total.
Is this a derailleur incident on the left?
